


In the moment we're lost and found, and I just wanna be by your side

by storiesthatmakeus



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bonding, Confessions, Family, Family Feels, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Post-Prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-04-25 13:07:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14379294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesthatmakeus/pseuds/storiesthatmakeus
Summary: Robert comforts Liv when she returns home from the detention centre and struggles to adjust.





	In the moment we're lost and found, and I just wanna be by your side

**Author's Note:**

> This is just some Roblivion waffle I was inspired to write because I wanted Robert and Liv to have a hug in the visiting scene and they didn't so I made up this for them instead!
> 
> Enjoy xxx

A soft knock at the door to his bedroom caused Robert to turn around, a bundle of Seb’s freshly cleaned clothes in his hand. Liv was leaning against the doorframe, and even though she had been home for three days now, she still looked exhausted and she had a faraway look in her eye that Robert recognised all too well from Aaron’s time in prison. 

‘’Hey, you okay?’’ Robert asked cautiously. He and Aaron had both been threading carefully the last few days; torn between acting as normally as possible and giving Liv space to adjust in her own time. They knew Liv was struggling with being home; it was obvious by the surprising early morning starts and late nights watching nonsense television, and the look she would get in her eyes like she didn't believe either of them were really in the room with her. Both of them had wanted to wrap her up and protect her, but they also had enough experience in times like this to take every moment as it came.

‘’Where’s Aaron?’’ She asked. 

‘’Stuck on the motorway with that scrap run. Half the lanes are closed because of an accident; says he’ll be hours yet.’’ Liv nodded slowly. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ She asked, her voice quiet as she stepped further into the room, edging around Robert to see what he was up to. 

‘’Making the most of Seb’s being at Vic’s. Trying to get all his clothes sorted and put away but it’s never-ending.’’

‘’Stop buying him so much tat then.’’ Liv suggested, holding up a tiny purple hoodie with a bemused grin.

‘’It’s not me, that’s your brother’s doing.’’ Robert informed her. ‘’Do you know how long he spent searching online for matching hoodies?’’ He grinned at the memory of Aaron subtly trying to match the shades of his own purple hoodie to the dozens of kids’ options available online without Robert noticing. When he finally realised he’d been caught out, his blush was so adorable that Robert fell even deeper in love with him than he ever thought possible. 

‘’Do you want a hand?’’ Liv asked suddenly, still holding the hoodie and throwing a glance at the mountain of unfolded clothes on the bed.

‘’What?’’

‘’Do.You.Want.A.Hand?’’ Liv repeated slowly. ‘’I know you’re an old man Rob, but your hearing can’t be that bad already?’’

Robert threw a sock at her, letting out a soft laugh as she batted it away using Seb’s hoodie as a shield.

‘’Well, I heard prison changes a person but this must be some kind of first.’’

‘’Ha ha.’’ Liv replied dryly, but she perched herself on the bed, crossing her legs as she methodically began folding the pile of jumpers and onesies in front of her. Robert watched her intently for a moment, but she seemed perfectly content in her task, so after a beat he joined in again, taking his own seat on the bed as they worked together in comfortable silence.

‘’Rob.’’

Robert looked up from his pile of clothes to see Liv fiddling with a pair of Seb’s socks, balling them and un-balling them without even seeming aware of it. He was tempted to pull them out of her hand before she stretched them beyond recognition, but the way she whispered his name made him hesitant.

‘’Yea?’’ He asked softly as he watched her stare down at the bundle in her hand.

‘’What was Aaron like, after he…came out?’’ She choked out, finally looking up at Robert, and his heart clenched when he saw her eyes were red.

‘’What do you mean?’’ He asked cautiously. 

‘’Did he find it hard…being normal?’’ 

‘’It took him a while to adjust.’’ Robert admitted after thinking on it for a moment.

‘’Like how?’’

‘’Couldn’t sleep properly for days, even though he was shattered.’’

‘’Why not?’’

‘’Honestly?’’ Liv nodded for Robert to continue. ‘’He got so used to the shouting and fighting, he thought the silence at night was all a dream, and he didn’t want to go to sleep and risk waking up to find he was right.’’

‘’How did he get past it?’’ Liv asked, her eyes widening softly as she gazed intently at Robert.

‘’I think having me here helped…not like that,’’ Robert added quickly, hearing Liv scoff as she rolled her eyes. ‘’It was more...having someone next to him; waking up and being able to reach out and touch someone, anyone, made it more real for him, that he was actually home.’’

Liv nodded slowly, chewing her lip as she thought about what Robert said. He felt a sudden urge to confide more in her as he watched her, so taking a deep breath, he tapped on her knee, causing her to look up at him.

‘’You know, it took me days to sleep properly after he came out too.’’

‘’You? Why?’’

‘’Thought it was all a dream as well, having him back next to me. Was scared I’d wake up and he’d be gone.’’

‘’Rob, what you said about him being able to touch anyone…?’’

‘’Yea?’’

‘’I don’t think it helped that it was just anyone, it mattered a lot that it was you.’’ Liv admitted with a shrug, and Robert felt a tear form in his eye.

‘’Wow,’’ he joked feebly, ‘’folding clothes and giving me compliments; prison definitely has changed you.’’

‘’Well maybe I’ll try and get you banged up again, you could use some quality prison time, see if you change.’’ Liv snipped, but there was a light in her eyes that Robert hadn’t seen in a while, and he couldn’t begrudge her a comment like that if it meant she was getting back to her old self.

‘’Didn’t work the first time did it?’’ He fired back lightly.

‘’Would make it a family hat trick though.’’ Liv laughed as she finished folding her pile, stacking it neatly to one side.

‘’What a legacy.’’ Robert smiled dryly, his heart fluttering at the word family coming from Liv’s mouth. ‘’But Liv, you do know you can talk to me or your brother about anything yea?’’ He asked, suddenly serious. ‘’We’ll always be here for you.’’

‘’Yea, I know.’’ Liv admitted, and Robert believed her. 

‘’So, what do you say I cook us some grub and we watch something we like without Aaron grumbling the whole way through?’’ He suggested after another beat of silence.

‘’Sounds good…’’

‘’But?’’ Robert prodded, seeing the same look in Liv’s eye that he saw in her brother’s when he was gearing up to confess something.

‘’Can we just stay here for a minute?’’

‘’Course.’’

Liv settled back on the bed, lying down and staring at the ceiling as Robert tidied away Seb’s clothes, pottering around as normally as he could, all the while sneaking glances at Liv, who seemed content just to lie on the bed. After a moment’s thought, he clambered onto the bed as well, lying down next to her and looking at the ceiling as well. He heard his phone go off, and reached his arm over Liv’s head to get it from the bedside table. To his immense surprise, she took the opportunity to curl into his side and he felt an unexplainable pang of warmth pass through him as he felt her breathe against him.

‘’Aaron’s still a little while away,’’ he explained, checking his message. ‘’I’ve told him we’ll save him some food.’’

‘’Okay.’’ Liv agreed, her voice sounding heavy with sleep. ‘’We don’t have to go just yet though?’’ she asked as she peered up at him.

‘’No, not just yet.’’ Robert confirmed. 

''You know I never told you...''

''What?''

''You know Tash?''

''The annoying cellmate who thought she was some kind of mafia mob wife?''

''That's the one.''

''What about her?''

''She thinks you're proper fit, asked if I'd give her your number for when she gets out.'' Liv laughed.

''Well, as flattered as I am by the attentions of an underage girl,'' Robert replied dryly, ''I think I'll stick with your brother, because he is, as the kids say, proper fit.'' He finished with a laugh, earning himself a punch to the side.

''Urgh, stop being so gross.''

''What, he's pretty beautiful to look at, and talk to, and...'' 

''Okay, that's enough.'' Liv groaned, pretending to cover her ears. ''That's one thing I didn't miss.''

''What?''

''You being such a disgusting sap.''

''Ah you missed me deep down.'' Robert whispered, and he felt a small shrug against his side, which he took as agreement. 

‘’Rob?’’ She whispered after a few moments, during which time Robert had thought she may have fallen asleep. 

‘’Yea Liv?’’

‘’I meant what I said, the day you told me about you and Aaron being back on.’’

‘’What…?’’

‘’I’m really happy you’re back.’’

Robert felt his heart swell as Liv buried herself deeper into the crook of his arm, resting her head against his chest in a way that reminded him so much of her brother he nearly burst into tears there and then. Instead, he just stroked her hair softly before wrapping his arm around her protectively.

‘’Me too Liv.’’ 

 

Robert didn’t realise he had fallen asleep until he felt the soft hand on his arm stirring him awake, and he slowly opened his eyes to see Aaron crouched down at the side of the bed, watching him with a soft, curious look in his eyes.

‘’You’re home.’’ Robert whispered softly, his voice gravelly with sleep.

‘’Finally.’’ Aaron replied quietly. ‘’What’s going on?’’ He asked, nodding towards Robert’s other side, and he followed his husband’s gaze to see Liv still tucked up against his side, sleeping soundly with his arm wrapped around her. 

‘’Oh…she couldn’t sleep, so…’’

‘’You helped her?’’ Aaron asked, his eyes wide with awe.

‘’Think she just needed to make sure she was really home.’’ Robert answered quietly. 

‘’I know how that feels.’’ Aaron replied, and his eyes glazed over with a hint of sadness, so Robert reached out with his free hand and stroked his cheek to reassure him.

‘’Hey, we’re all here now, and nobody is going anywhere again.’’

‘’Promise?’’

‘’Promise.’’ Robert confirmed with a soft smile, and Aaron’s eyes brightened.

‘’Well, budge up then.’’ He whispered as he pulled his hoodie off, and Robert obliged, holding up his arm so Aaron could nestle in beside him. He wrapped his arm around Aaron’s shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to his hair as he snuggled deeper into the crook of his husband’s arm.

‘’I love you.’’ Aaron whispered, suddenly very sleepy.

‘’I love you more.’’ Robert replied, as he kissed Aaron again softly, and soon they were both quietly dozing.

 

It was pitch black when Liv woke suddenly, feeling disorientated as she took in her somewhat unfamiliar surroundings. She glanced over, and couldn’t help the soft smile that formed when she took in the sight of Robert, fast asleep with his nose in Aaron’s hair and his hand resting on his shoulder. She hadn’t heard her brother come in, but he was just as dead to the world now, his cheek pressed against Robert’s chest and his arm splayed over Robert’s stomach, fingers gripping the soft material of his t-shirt, still wearing his work jeans with his socks half hanging off over the edge of the bed. 

She would make fun of them tomorrow, call them gross and sickening and every other word she could think of, but for now, she was the happiest she had been in two months as she settled back down against Robert’s side and dozed off again, a contented smile on her face.

She was home.


End file.
